Dimmer for headlights



E. W. HOUSE.

DIMMER FOR HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED 05022. 1919.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

ERNEST HOUSE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH T0- BASIL M. ALLEN, -O15 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1919. Serial No. 343,734.

which may be conveniently manipulated to bring a resistance into the lighting circuit and temporarily dim the headlights.

The present invention is embodied in the 7 form of a push button which may be mounted in convenient reach, as for instance upon the steering wheel, and includes separable contacts and a resistance arranged and combined in such a manner that the device may be quickly and conveniently included in any ordinary lighting circuit without reuiring any changes or alterations therein.

he device is complete in itself and may be connected to the lighting circuit without necessitating the employment of skilled assistance.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device of the present invention with the top removed and the casing in section.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with the top in place.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and at right angles to Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a lighting system including the controlling device of the present invention.

The present device includes a back or base 1 of non-conducting material and is preferably circular in form. This base or back has fitted thereto a cylindrical casing 2 provided with an outstanding flange 3 provided with suitable openings 4 for the reception of 'fastenings to secure the device, in place.

Within the casing and carried by the back or body 1 are two insulated binding posts 5 and 6, from which lead insulated conductors 7 and 8 which pass outwardly through an "opening 9 in the casing 2, and are of suitable length for inclusion within any ordinary lighting system. A'contact member 10 has one end connected to the binding post 5 and is provided at its other free end with a lateral arm 11 normally in contact with and extending transversely across the free end portion of another contact arm 12 which has its other end upon the binding post 6. A suitable resistance 13 has its opposite ends connected to the binding posts 5 and 6 and is disposed diametrically opposite the opening 9. It will be noted that the several parts 7, 8, 10, 12 and 13 are all in substantially the same plane. The open outer end. of the casing 2 is closed by a cover v1 1 of non'conducting material, and this cover is provided with a projection 15 normally engagin or in close proximity to the contact 12. he peripheral edge of the cover is engaged by an inturned flange 16 on the easing so as to prevent outward displacement or loss of the cover, but said cover 1s otherwise free for inward movement imparted thereto by pressing upon the outer face of the cover, which outer face is preferably convex so as to have a central portion projecting beyond the open outer end of the casing 2 and therefore conveniently accessible for pushing the cover inwardly.

The present invention is applied in the manner shown in Fig. 4, wherein 17 is a generator from which lead the conductors 18 and 19. Two headlights are indicated at 20, and a switch 21 is included in the circuit for manual operation to open and close the circuit. The present device is mounted in any suitable position, as for instance, upon a steering wheel indicated at 22, and the conductors 7 and 8 are connected to the conductors 19 and 18 in any suitable manner. When thus installed, the switch 21 being closed, the circuit is completed through the conductors 7 and 8 and the contacts 10 and 12 without interfering in any manner with the glowing of the headlights. When it becomes necessary to temporarily dim the headlights, the cover or push button 14 is pushed inwardly to separate the contact 12 from the contact 10, and then the circuit will be through the resistance 13 and the headlights consequently dimmed. Immediately upon removing pressure from the push button 14 the resiliency of the contact 12 will bring the latter back into engagement with the contact 10 thereby continuing the circuit through the contacts 10 and 12 and shunting the resistance 13.

From the foregoing description, it will Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

be understood that the resistance 13 is normally shunted in order that the headlights may glow brightly, and it will be further understood that the resistance is in the circuit only so long as pressure is maintained upon the push button to maintain the contacts separated. In other words, after being dimmed, the headlights are restored to their normal condition merelyby the act of releasing pressure from the push button, thereby avoiding the necessity of performing a further positive operation to return the headlights to their normal condition.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of normally engaged contact members, electric conductors leading to the respective contact members, an elec tric resistance connecting the said contact members, and means for separating the contact members to bring the resistance into circuit with the electric conductors.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a housing, binding posts within the housing, electricconductors leading to the respective binding posts, normally engaged contact members carried by the binding posts, an electric resistance connecting the binding posts, and means for separating the contact members for including the resistance in circuit with the electric conductors.

3. A deviceof the class described including a housing, a pair of binding posts therein, electric conductors leading to the respective binding posts, normally engaged contact members carried by the respective binding posts, an electric resistance connecting the binding posts, and a push button in cooperative relation with one of the contacts whereby the contacts may be separated and the resistance put in circuit with the electric conductors.

i 4. A device of the class described including a pair of binding posts, electric conductors leading to the respective binding posts, contact members carried by the binding posts, one of the-contact members having a transverse arm extending across and normally in engagement with the other contact arm, an electric resistance extending between the binding posts, and a push button in cooperative relation with one of the contact members for separating the contact members to bring the resistance into circuit with the electric conductors.

5. A device of the class described including a casing, binding posts upon the back of the casing, electric conductors leading to the binding posts, normally engaged contact members carried by the binding posts and extending at one side thereof, an electric resistance disposed opposite the contact members and connected at opposite ends to the respective binding posts, the conductors, contacts and resistance lying in substantially the same plane, and a push button in cooperative relation with one of the contacts for separating said contacts to include the resistance in circuit with the conductors.

6. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a pair of binding posts extending from the back of the casing, electric conductors leading inwardly through one side of thecasing and connected to the respective binding posts, substantially L-shaped contact members carried by the respective binding posts, the transverse arm at the free end of one of the contact members extending across and in normal engagement with the free end of the other contact member, an electric resistance in the form of an arcuate coil having its ends connected to the respective binding posts, the resistance and the free ends of the contact members lying at opposite sides of the binding posts, the electric conductors leading away from the resistance and. around the contact members, the conductors, the contact members and the resistance lying -in substantially the same plane, and-a cover member provided with a push button in cooperative relation with one of the contact members for separating said members and including the resistance in circuit with the electric conductors.

7. The combination with an electric light- ERNEST W. HOUSE. 

